A cable clamp assembly is used in the field to secure a jacketed cable so that it can be attached to a support structure (e.g., a telephone or telecommunications pole) when deploying the cable to another structure (e.g., a building or another support structure). In the case of drop wires, the cable clamps are called drop-wire clamps or drop-wire clamp assemblies.
A cable clamp assembly has a bail cable that attaches to an aerial support fixture on the support structure. The cable clamp assembly is configured to allow the cable to be attached to the aerial support fixture of the support structure in a manner that supports the tension that would otherwise be imparted to the cable and possibly damage the cable. To carry out this function, the cable clamp assembly needs to firmly grip and hold the cable in place under maximum tension without damaging the cable.
Conventional cable clamp assemblies may employ a wedge-shaped insert to which the bail cable attaches and that fits into and snugly engages a wedge-shaped outer shell. The cable passes through the cable clamp assembly between the outer shell and the insert. A shim resides between the cable and the insert and presses into the cable when the insert and shell are matingly engaged. This results in a compressive force on the cable that serves to secure the cable within the cable clamp assembly.
Some conventional cable clamp assemblies are designed for PVC-jacketed copper drop cables or unjacketed conductors having a round cross-sectional shape. Such assemblies cannot provide a sufficient grip on (i.e., cannot apply a sufficient compressive force to) a flat fiber-optic cable without compressing it to the point where the optical fibers contained therein are damaged.